Centrifugal pump



Qct. 13, 1925- 1.5 57

A.- R. WILFLEY CENTRIFUGAL PUMP Filed June 9, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1'3min Oct. 13,1925. w 1556,65?

A. R. WILF'LEY CENTRIFUGAL PUMP Filed June 9, 192 5 Sheets-Sheet 3flr/bur fl. Wilf/ey a v Wyn/ Patented Oct. 13, 1925, I

um'nzn STATES ARTHUR R. WILFLEY, F DENVER. COLORADO.

GENTRIFUGAL BUMP.

Application filed June 9,

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR R. WTLFLEY, a citizen of the United States.residing at Denver, in the city-and county of Denver and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCentrifugal Pumps; and I do declare the-following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.reference being had to the accompanying drawings. and to the charactersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in centrifugal pumps and hasreference more particularly to pumps of the type used in connection withmines and other places where water containing sand and grit is to behandled, and where high suction is required, although the pump ,isequally adapted to handle clean water.

Inpumps of this type. it is essential that the runner shaft shall notdirectly engage the portion of the runner casing through which itpasses. The hole through which the shaft enters the casing is thereforemade larger than the shaft, which leaves an annular opening'about thelatter.

It is my object to provide means for keeping the opening around theshaft. and which forms communication between the runner chamber and theatmosphere, free from liquid when the pump is in operation, andadditional means for sealing the opening when the'pum is inactive, inorder to prevent any liquld which may be above the pump casing, as in astand pipe, for instance, from leaking out through the same.

My invention consists in particular comhination and arrangement ofparts, which can best be described when reference ishad to theaccompanying drawing, in which the c preferred embodiment of myinvention is.

shown, and in which; Y a

Fig. 1 is aview showing a section taken on line 1- 1, Fig. 3, a portionof the pump beingshown in elevation; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section toa some- 1924. Serial No. 718,850.

what enlarged scale showing the means for 5.

sealing the opening when the pump is inoperative Fig. 3 is a Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on 8' line 4-4, Fig. 3. showing aslightly modified form of runner;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55, Figs.

1 and 7. i I

r Fig. 6 is 'a section taken on line 6-6, Fig. i 7 and r i Fig. 7 is afragmentary section showing a. second modification.

My improved pump has a base lprovided with a bearing supporting bracket2 near one end. This bracket has a ring 3 within which is mounted abearing in which the shaft 4 rotates. As my present invention hasnothing to do with the specific hearing employed. I will refrain. fromdescribing the same in section taken on line 33,

detail.

Another bearing bracket similar to bracket 2 is secured to'the other endof the base. but this has not been shown. That part of the bearingsupport designated by the numeral 5 has a hub portion 6 provided on itsinner surface with grooves for the reception of'rings 7 of felt orsimilar material. Shaft 4 has a threaded portion 8 to which is secured-amember 9. This member has a hub 10 that projects towards the-ballhearing and whose outer surface contacts with the inner surfaces of therings 7. The hub 10 also extends to the other side of the flangedportion of the part indicated by the numeral 9 in Fig. 2 and hasitsinner surface threaded so as to engage the threaded portion 8 of theshaft. A set screw 11 serves to distort a portion of the hub to producea binding action that will lock member 9 a ainst rotation with res ectto-the shaft. ivoted to the outer en s of the arms 12 are centrifugalgovernor elements formed in the shape of hell cranks, oneend 13 of whichis heavy and constitutes a weight The other end, marked 14, engages theoutwardly extending flange '15, which forms'apart of the ring 16. Thisring is impelled towards the left (Figs.

1 and 2) by means of a spring 17 and has attached to it another ring 18that serves as a sealing means -in a manner that will presently appear.It will be apparent from the above description, taken in connection withFigs. 1 and 2, that when the shaft 4 rotates, the weights 13 will tendto move outwardly and to turn the bell crank levers counterclockwise ontheir'pivots, thereby moving the ring 16 towards the right against theforce exerted by the spring 17. When the shaft rotates slowly or isstationary, the spring 17 functions and moves'ring 16 toward the left.Formed integral with or secured by proper means to the base 1 is abracket member 19. This member has a central opening 20 and serves as asupport forthe runner chamber which will now be described. The runnerchamber is formed from two members 21 and 22. Member 21.

seen as a section taken on line 33', Fig. 1 is shown in Fig. 3.- Theinner surface 23 of the front side terminates in a cylindrical wall 24.A passage 25 connects the runner chamber with the discharge channel 26,which forms a portion of the delivery port. of the pump. Member 22 hasan annular fiat surface 27 which fits against a corresponding surface 28and formsthe rear'wall Member 22 has a has a tapered central opening forthe reception of the tapered end 31 of the shaft. A bolt 34eserves tohold the runner in place on the shaft. Blades 35 of substantially theshape shown in'Fig. 3 and constituting the main or pumping blades,connect the flange 32 with the annular wall 36 and thereby form aplurality of openings through which the water may flow. An auxiliary setof sealing blades 37 connect the rear side of the flange 32 with theannular rear wall 38. The

blades 37 are'spaced apart to form channels 39. The wall 38 has asurface 40 that has a running clearance with the corresponding annularsurface 41 on the member 22. The front wall 21 of the runner chamber hasa central intake opening within which is slid-f ably mounted thecylindrical member 42 whose inner end -is held in sliding engagementwith the surface 43 of the wall'36.

In order to permit adjustments to be made for wear, I have providedmeans-for moving the-surface 40 towards 41 and for moving the member42inwardly from time to time. The k first adjustment is accomplished byinwardly whenever this becomes necessary.

A pipe 49 leads to the water. supply.

The runner may be modified slightly if desired. The main pumping blades35' are usually giyen abackward curveas shown in Fig. 3. When there isno pressure. but rather a suction, in intake pipe 49, the auxiliarysealing blades 37 may be given a.back-. ward curve, (Fig. 6) similarto'blades 35. However, when there is pressure in intake 49, some meansmust be provided so that blades 37 will withstand this excess pressureover the pressure produced by the centrifu gal action of blades 35. Thismay be accomplished by making the auxiliary sealing blades of largerdiameter than the main pumping blades as shown in Fig. 7 'or by anyother equivalent means;

The pump operates in the following manner:

Assuming that the pipe 49 is connected to a source of water supply a ndthat th e shaft 4 is being rotated by a suitable motor,

the action will be as follows:

' When the shaft starts rotating, the main pumping blades 35will'develop a pressure tending to make the water flow out through thedischarge channel 26 and at the same time the v'veights 13 will developa centrifu gal force that tends to move the sealing ring 18 away fromthe wall of theopeningabout the shaft. When the speed has attained theproper amount. the pressure developed by the aetion of the-blades '35will cause the ing to become filled with water and thereby approximatelybalance the pressure on opposite sides of the runner. Water will also beforced into the openings 39 between the auxiliary sealingblades 37 andwill extend towardsthe shaft to such a distance that the pressure due tothe centrifugal force' developed, will b alancethe pressure in thechannel 26. Since the blades 37 develop a pressure at least equaltothatin'the delivery channel, the water will'not flow towards thecenter and out through the unsealed-opening while the pump is running.Any water that. v slips down past the surfaces 40' and 41 and into thegroove 30, will betakennpfby the.

auxiliary blades and forced outwardly so that it will not enter theunsealed opening. Air cannot enterthe pump in amounts sufficient tocause injury when it is running, for the reason that the openings 39between the auxiliary blades are sealed with water and water also fillsthe spaces between the runner and the walls of the chamber. When thepump is stopped the spring 17 forces the sealing ring 18 into place andprevents water from flowing out of the runner chamber.

If the auxiliary blades are made longer in the manner shown in Fig. 7the operation will be just the same, the only effect of the longerblades being to prevent the sealing water from entering the-opening 39as far as it would if the blades were shorter.

Theremoval of the walls 36 and 38 in the manner shown in Fig. 4-, makesno material.-

difference in the operation, but siinplifies the manufacture of therunner.

Applicant desires to call particular atten-. tion to the fact that theauxiliary blades are separated from themain'or pumping blades by animperforate flange or disk and that they bear such relation to thepumping blades that they develop a pressure at least equal to that inthedischarge channel. Another point that should be borne in'mind is thatthe auxiliary or sealing blades are employed in a combinatlon wherethere is an unsealed opening about the shaft. If the opening 1 about theshaft were sealed as is the custom,

runner. chamber having an intake opening on one s1de and a circularshaft-receiving then the auxiliary. blades would have to perform adifferent function or be eliminated entire1y.-

' The imperforate member is to out OK all direct communication betweenthe intake opening 49 and the unsealed opening around the shaft, therebypreventing air from entering the runner proper and the auxiliary sealingblades-prevent the llquid from flowing ouththe unsealed opening.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In combination, a casing forming a opening on the other. side, ashaft projecting through said'last named opening and into the chambersaid shaft being of smaller diameter than the opening through which itpasses whereby. a' passage way is formed about the shaft, a runnersecured to the shaft and mounted for rotation'within said chamber, saidrunner having a central imperforate flange with a setof main pump-' ingblades on the side nearest the intake opening and a set of auxiliarysealing blades on the side nearest the shaft-receiving-opening, andmeans for sealing the passageway about the shaft when the pumpis inoperative and for opening the same when the pump operates.

2. In. combination, a casing forming a runner chamber having an intakeopening on one side anda shaft-recelying opening on the other side, ashaft projccting through said opening and into said chamber, a runnersecured to said shaft and mounted for rotation within the runnerchamber, said runner having a central imperforate flange with a main setof pumping blades on the side nearest the intake opemng and a set otauxlliary sealing blades on the side nearfor taking up wear between themain pumping blades and the adjacent side of the runner chamber andbetween the auxiliary sealing blades and the adjacent side of the runnerch amber.

3. In a centrifugal pump, in combination, a casing forming arunnerchamber.proyided at one side with an intake opening and at the otherside with a shaft-receiving opening, a shaft projecting throughthelastest the shaft receiving opening, and means named opening, said shaftbeing of smaller dlameter than the opening whereby a pasing thepassageway about the shaft when the pump is inoperative and for openingthe same after the pump has started to operate.

4. In -'a centrifugal pump, in combination, a casing forming a runnerchamber hav ng an intake opening on one side and a circularshaft-receiving opening on the other side,

a shaft projecting through the shaft-receiving opening and into thechamber, said shaft being of a smaller diameter than the opening wherebya passageway is formed about the shaft, a runner secured to the shaftand mounted for rotation within said chamber, saidrunner having acentral imperforate, flange provided with a set of main pumping bladeson theside nearestfthe intake opening and a set of auxiliary sealingblades on. the side nearest the shaft-receiving opening, and means forclosing the passageway about the shaft when the pump is inoperative andfor opening said passageway when the pump operates.

5. In a centrifugal pump, in combination, a casing forming a runnerchamber having an intake opening on one side and a circularshaft-receiving opening on the other side, a shaft projecting throughthe shaftreceiving I opening and intothe chamber, said shaft being of asmaller diameter than the opening whereby a passageway is formed aboutthe shaft, a runner secured to the shaft and mounted for rotation withinI said chamber, said runner having a central pump is inoperative and'forppening said imperforate flange provided with a set of passageway whenthe pump operates, said main pumping blades on the side nearest thelast-named means comprising a centrifugal intake opening and a set ofauxiliary sealdevlce R Y connected to ing blades on the side nearest theshaft- In testlmony whereof I aifix y g tur receiving opening, and meansfor closing the passageway about the shaft when the ARTHUR R. WILFLEY.

